Mona Khalil, Advocate for Marine Life, Passes Away
Mona Khalil, a prominent Lebanese environmental activist who was instrumental in transforming a section of Lebanon's southern coast into a critical nesting area for endangered sea turtles, has passed away. Her death occurred after she sustained injuries during an Israeli strike. Khalil, 76, was wounded when her residence on Mansouri beach, near Tyre, was hit during Israeli military actions in southern Lebanon approximately two weeks prior. She succumbed to her injuries on Friday after a period of hospitalization, as confirmed by a local environmental organization.
Her passing coincides with an escalation of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, which has heightened concerns regarding renewed conflict despite ongoing diplomatic endeavors to maintain regional stability. The BBC has sought comment from the Israeli military regarding the incident.
"She is a deeply committed environmental defender," Hisham Younes, the founder and president of Green Southerners, shared with the BBC. "She used to talk about the beach like it was a person. Her bond to the sunset, her bond to the water and the turtles….she was really into conservation, and into the soul, the spirit of conservation."
A Life Dedicated to Conservation
For more than 25 years, Khalil devoted her efforts to safeguarding endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles that utilize Lebanon's southern coastline for nesting. Her journey into conservation began after what her family and friends describe as a pivotal encounter with a turtle laying eggs on Mansouri beach in 1999. Khalil, a refugee from the Lebanese civil war who had been living in the Netherlands, was visiting her family's coastal home when she witnessed a green turtle nesting.
Upon realizing the threats facing sea turtle populations in Lebanon, she committed herself to their protection and subsequently returned to the country permanently. By 2000, she had co-founded the Orange House Project, an eco-tourism and conservation initiative situated overlooking Mansouri beach. This project, which started as a modest guesthouse, expanded into a hub for environmental education, wildlife protection, and marine research, attracting volunteers and visitors globally.
Khalil spent decades meticulously monitoring nesting sites, documenting marine life, and advocating against coastal development, pollution, and harmful fishing practices. Her tireless work contributed to certain stretches of coastline receiving protected status and significantly raised public awareness about the challenges confronting Lebanon's marine ecosystems.
Enduring Commitment Amidst Conflict
Despite years of conflict in southern Lebanon, friends and colleagues noted Khalil's unwavering dedication to her work. Her home had previously been damaged during the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, yet she consistently refused to abandon the beach she had spent years protecting.
Environmental activist and friend of Khalil, Maha Joumaa, told local media, "Mona barricaded herself inside her house, receiving no visitors and believing she was safe because she is a civilian." Joumaa added that Khalil's decision to remain was characteristic of her resolve: "She absolutely refused to be displaced, which was fitting for someone so determined."
Environmental organizations affirm that Khalil's legacy will persist through the conservation movement she helped cultivate and through the continuous return of generations of turtles to Lebanon's shores. Paul Abi Rached, president of Terre Liban, recounted bringing his children to visit Khalil in Mansouri in 2017, where they assisted her in releasing baby sea turtles into the Mediterranean. "Her love for the turtles was evident in every word and every action, but so was her love for people," he told the BBC. "That, perhaps, is Mona's greatest legacy - she did not only protect turtles; she inspired people to care about them."
Source: Lebanese turtle conservationist Mona Khalil killed by Israeli strike